Mayor praises initiative which supports Limerick Learning Hub

MAYOR of Limerick, Cllr Jim Long, has lent his support to a new compilation album of local bands which aims to raise funds for the Learning Hub on the city’s northside.

MAYOR of Limerick, Cllr Jim Long, has lent his support to a new compilation album of local bands which aims to raise funds for the Learning Hub on the city’s northside.

The New Reindeer Age features 22 tracks from Limerick’s finest bands and musicians, with all proceeds going towards the Learning Hub’s music programmes.

The brainchild of local man Keith Kelly, the New Reindeer Age follows in the footsteps of an original compilation album put together 16 years ago by Xeric Records - some of whom also feature on the new album. Mayor Long was quick to praise Mr Kelly’s initiative, which included sourcing funding for the project from local companies to produce the album.

“Keith is a wonderful example of a young Limerick man inspired to make a difference to local young people using an interest he is passionate about and which connects with young people in the city – Limerick needs lots of this kind of energy,” said the mayor.

Every cent from album sales goes directly to supporting music projects at the Learning Hub, who have just begun a band incubation project at their Thomondgate facility, which boasts impressive music recording facilities.

Manager of Learning Hub Limerick Jennifer Moroney-Ward said they were “thrilled to be beneficiaries of Keith’s energy and hard work on this project– it’s been an unexpected but delightful gift to the Learning Hub”.

James Blake of the Brad Pitt Light Orchestra, who feature on the record along with Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters, Moscow Metro, Fred, Windings, Dead Red Light and many more local bands, is a project co-ordinator at the Learning Hub and explained that the music programmes have “really taken off in recent months”.

“We have just begun a very exciting band incubation project here at the Hub with seven bands starting out on a journey for the next four months with a professional musician as a mentor,” he explained.

“We hope to produce an album of great new Limerick bands ourselves here next year and Keith’s work on the New Reindeer Age will help us to support young musicians into 2012,” he added.

The album will be for sale in the Milk Market this Friday and is on sale in a number of city centre locations.

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